So far we’ve previewed the best teams in the SEC and Big Ten, letting fans know what to expect this season from their favorite teams. This week we’re highlighting PAC-12, the matriarch conference for collegiate softball.

If the PAC-12 is the matriarch conference of collegiate softball, UCLA is the queen team. The Bruins are the most decorated NCAA softball program with 11 national championships, appearing in 19 national championship title games, along with 24 Women’s College World Series appearances and an astounding 187 NCAA tournament wins.

UCLA’s program started in 1975 under head coach Sharron Backus and in only three short years the Bruins won their first national title — even before they had their own field! From the time the NCAA began recognizing softball in 1982, Backus and her Bruins won six of the first nine national championships. As head coach, Backus won a total of eight national championships with her last coming in 1995.

Legendary softball personality Sue Enquist was the co-head coach of the Bruins with Backus starting in 1989 until taking over as the sole head coach in 1997. As a player, Enquist played under Backus from 1975-1978, being a part UCLA’s first national championship and has the distinction of being UCLA’s first All-American. Enquist won three national championship as the sole head coach of the Bruins in 1999, 2003, and 2004. She retired in 2006 with 887 career wins and the highest win percentage (.835) of any collegiate softball coach with 800+ wins.


Legendary Bruin and current softball ambassador Sue Enquist

Current head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez has continued the storied success of UCLA softball. In her nine seasons with the Bruins, Inouye-Perez has never missed the NCAA tournament and boasts three WCWS appearances (2008, 2010, and 2015) and a national title in 2010.

Inouye-Perez will have to continue the storied success of Bruin softball without several key seniors from last season. The Bruins lose two-time PAC-12 Player of the Year Ally Carda. The first team All-American pitcher was a member of the USA National Team this past summer and led the Bruins pitching staff with a 2.62 ERA and 38 wins in the circle. Carda was also an offensive threat for UCLA, batting .328 last year and knocking in 50 runs.

Another significant loss for the Bruins is second team All-American catcher Stephany Larosa. She tied for the third highest batting average on team last year (.376) and tied for the most home runs on the team with 20.

Despite the significant losses within the battery, UCLA brings back key players for 2016. Topping the list is junior center fielder Alexis Bennett. The first team All-American held a batting average over .500 for much of the season last year, finishing the year at an astounding .492 average and 93 hits making her the PAC-12 leader in both categories. She also led the bruins on the basepaths with 21 steals.


Junior Allexis Bennett batted close to .500 last season for the Bruins

Second team All-American shortstop Delaney Spaulding brings power back to the Bruin offense, having tied for the team lead in home runs (20) and driving in 70 runs on year. Left fielder Gabrielle Maurice also returns for the Bruins having started every game last season and tying for the third-best batting average on the team at .367.

The Bruins bring in a talented group of five freshmen to reload for 2016. Leading the class of Bruin rookies is Gatorade National Player of the Year Rachel Garcia. The FloSoftball Hot 100 No. 10 player is a pitcher/utility player coming to the Bruins from the Corono Angels club team. Likely battery-mates to the power-pitching Garcia will be freshman catchers Paige Halstead and Taylor Pack. Halstead, a product of Brett Denio's Explosion program was FloSoftball's Hot 100 No. 21 player and played with the USA Junior National Team this summer. Pack joins UCLA from the Lady Magic–Havey club team and was ranked No. 30 in the Hot 100. UCLA rounds out its freshman class with infielders Zoe Shaw from the So Cal Choppers and Bree Tautalafua from the Firecrackers-Rico.


Freshman Rachel Garcia was named the 2015 Gatorade National Player of the Year

Being in the preeminent collegiate softball conference, UCLA is used to tough competition. The fight for PAC-12 champion will be a tough one but expect UCLA to be in the middle of it. And with their best finish since their NCAA National Championship in 2010, UCLA may very well find themselves competing in the WCWS again this season.